H-234                _______________________________________________

                                                    HOUSE BILL NO. 693

                        _______________________________________________

State of Washington                              49th Legislature                              1985 Regular Session

By Representatives Dellwo, Day, Bristow, Tanner, Armstrong, D. Nelson and Jacobsen

Read first time 2/8/85 and referred to Committee on Social & Health Services.

AN ACT Relating to mental health; and adding new sections to chapter 71.05 RCW.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1.  A new section is added to chapter 71.05 RCW to read as follows:

          The department shall develop and implement a procedure under which a person in the mental health system who is acutely or chronically mentally ill or seriously disturbed, and who is elderly, a child, low-income, or a member of a minority population, undergoes appropriate testing and diagnostic evaluation to identify organic diseases or conditions that cause or exacerbate the psychiatric symptoms of the person.  The department shall adopt a treatment program for any such person found to be suffering from an organic disease or condition that contributes to or exacerbates the psychiatric symptoms of the person and shall treat the disease or condition as part of the total treatment program of the person.  The person shall be informed of the results of testing and of organic diseases and conditions contributing to or exacerbating psychiatric symptoms as revealed by tests.  The persons shall be educated as to the nature of the diseases or conditions and shall become involved in the treatment.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 2.  A new section is added to chapter 71.05 RCW to read as follows:

          The department shall make:

          (1) Recommendations for changes concerning current medical evaluation procedures, staffing, and training of mental health workers in public mental health programs;

          (2) Recommendations for education of clients so that they may become active participants in their own treatment;

          (3) Recommendations to enable public mental health programs to design and implement the most appropriate cost-effective levels of medical evaluation for various program settings and client characteristics; and

          (4) Recommendations that reduce barriers to obtaining health care for mental health client groups identified in the study.